Image on the Net
by Ferrero
Summary: What did Nudge upload that was so interesting that the kids couldn't keep from crowding around the laptop? FAX Story written 2 years ago, so pardon any inadequacies


**A/N: Hi! I haven't written a Maximum Ride fan fiction in a long, long time because I didn't have the motivation for it. I found this on my computer just a few days back and decided to do a little touching up and then upload it onto since I have realized that many people have 'Author Alerted' me apparently for my MR fan fictions which, now that I look back at them, weren't all that fantastic… This is one of my earlier fan fictions and was written early 2008 so please pardon anything that isn't up to your expectations.**

**That aside, I have another one planned which is, quite obviously, WIP (work in progress) and will not be a one-shot and hence will be released in chapters. I should be able to get the first chapter done by end of June, so please look forward to it! If I do not change my mind it would be published under the title: Beauty and the Beast.**

**A Maximum Ride Fan Fiction – Image on the Net**

"Nudge, I know you've got a talent for drawing, and I know you've learnt how to use the scanner, but you don't have to upload everything that you draw onto the blog!" This was pissing me off. There didn't pass a day when Nudge didn't touch that blasted pencil of hers nor hog the scanner until the day was done. There wasn't a day when the girl couldn't stop talking about her drawings or hug the laptop to her like it was her lifeline. It was getting absolutely annoying. Nudge not only hogged the laptop all day, she wouldn't even let me near it!

While all the kids were squealing at the sight of what she uploaded (Iggy couldn't see anything at all so he didn't bother), I, the leader, the one and only Maximum Ride, was being overpowered by three not-so-innocent kids. Fang, being Fang, sat in a dark corner of the room reading a dark novel with a dark cover and a dark name. I'll bet the plot was dark too.

As I walked towards the kids to call them out for lunch, the door slammed into my face.

That was the last straw.

Using all my super and inhuman strength, I barged through the door, just in time to see Nudge log off and turn off the monitor.

I glared at all three juveniles. "Lunch," I stated the obvious as Gazzy's nose started twitching at the aromatic scent that had drifted through the hole I had made in the door by ramming myself through it. The gasman sprinted through the gaping hole, singing all the way to the dining hall, "Oh the fresh lovely smell of Iggy's cooking!"

Angel grinned toothily at me, slipping out of the chair she was sitting on. "Come on, Nudge."

Nudge was trying really hard to tear herself away from the sleek piece of technology sitting in front of her. When I say trying really hard, I mean REALLY hard. I could see the sweat forming on her chocolate forehead, the longing in those big brown eyes, which then suddenly squeeze shut to avoid further temptation. With all the will power she possessed, Nudge exited the room at top speed fearing that if she did indeed look back she would be unable to take her eyes off the laptop again for a long, long time.

As I heard a chorus of 'what's this?' from the hall, I settled myself in front of the silver laptop. They would be kept busy by Iggy's new dish for a moment.

Slowly and cautiously, I logged on to the computer, the blue screen flashing up and reflecting off my face.

Then, with no unnecessary movements made, I opened a new window of Internet Explorer and logged on to Blogger.

The first thing I noticed was that the blog hits had tripled. What did Nudge do?

Amused, I clicked on the 'View Blog' option only to come face to face with a drawing of Fang and I, lip locked in some kind of a passionate kiss.

I blinked once. Twice. And just then, Fang decided to cross the threshold into the room, "Max—."

He stopped in mid-sentence, probably shocked wordless by the image in front of him as I had been and still was.

I was still sitting as motionless as a statue on that little green chair that Nudge had occupied just about one minute ago. What was Nudge thinking when she posted the image? Did she believe that neither Fang nor I would bother viewing the blog (especially since Fang was the pioneer of the Flock's blog)? Did she believe that even if we did we wouldn't hack her head off with an axe and drop it from a very, very high altitude?

I could feel Fang's hot breath on my neck, his well-toned chest against my back, whispering, "What the heck is that?"

"I…don't know," I replied slowly.

Snaking an arm from behind me, Fang reached out for the mouse and scrolled down a little. Even more drawings. A few seconds more of scrolling, we saw the bottom of the post. It said: 7 128 266 messages to The Flock.

I stared at it dumbly.

Apparently, Fang had superb recovery powers, and after a second of surprise he clicked on the link.

**Flock Crazy**** said…**

**OMG! I really wished that had been a photograph instead, although the drawings are…wow.**

**Fang's Gal**** said…**

**Max, you'd BETTER treat Fang well if not I'll personally hunt you down! And Fang, if these events here haven't happened yet, give me a call at XXXXXXXX, okay? ;)**

**Extremely Maximum**** said…**

**Well done, bro. Always knew you guys were meant for each other.**

**Mitchell**** said…**

**Max!! I love you! Don't go with Fang! He's dark and depressing and an overall bad influence! Come with me!**

**Kiko72**** said…**

**Nice drawings.**

**Critic5JK**** said…**

**Overall effect of romance has been achieved but as an art critic I cannot stand by and say nothing when lines are not clean. Better control of medium utilized would be much appreciated, and hair does not fall in such a manner; there will be individual strands that do not correspond with the general direction of hair flow. Creases in clothes require more work to increase realism. The background has been hastily drawn and coloured and while such effects of having a less crisp image for the background may highlight what is in the foreground, judging by what is in the foreground, the background would have been preferred to be smudged instead of composed of messy lines. Background colours should be muted as well, and a pastel colour scheme would better enhance the intended atmosphere to put forth.**

**: /Adeline**** said…**

**NUDGE!!! Don't give me false hopes! Oh, but if they really do get together, upload a photo, okay? ;-)**

I was utterly bewildered, and I could feel Fangs eyes on me.

"Max…"

"What?" I asked without looking at him, a sure sign that I was embarrassed beyond words.

Fang didn't respond for a while.

"Max, look at me," he said with firmness in his voice, but I did not comply. Goodness knows what he'd say if he realized just how flustered I was!

"Max," he said again, this time seeming to command instead of suggest. His tone was cold and it made me shudder to know that I had angered him by not doing as he asked me to, but I really couldn't face him! I could feel the heat in my cheeks burning so intensely I was sure that he would tease me for eternity if he saw.

When I did not move after a few minutes, Fang let out a desperate sigh and said, "If you aren't going to look at me I will make you." With that he held my chin between his fingers and forcefully turned my head so that he could see my face. His eyes were a hard black.

Fearful, I waited for my punishment which could be anything from a simple threat to literally letting me fall to my doom (wings aside) from the peak of Mt. Everest.

Nothing happened.

I looked to him questioningly when I realized that he too was blushing. Not as much as I did but still blushing. This could be good blackmail material. "Fang?"

He pressed a finger to my lips to silence me, likely to prevent further questioning about his unFang-like state. "Don't speak," he said in a quiet whisper.

I didn't.

Slowly, I felt his fingers creep up to my chin and then to my cheek, brushing it with the lightest of touches. I felt my face heat up again, this time startled by Fang's actions so much that I couldn't think straight. "Wha—"

"Shh," he murmured into my ear before lowering his face, angling it a little so his lips would touch mine. His eyes were lidded and an overwhelming sense of euphoria consumed me, making me dizzy, and before I knew it, I had given in to him. It was yet again one of those times when I was unable to decipher the reason behind his actions but this time I couldn't be bothered to.

I reached out an arm to pull him closer to me by the neck, as he gently licked my lips. Granting him permission to enter, I felt his tongue shamelessly caress mine.

Turning the chair so that I faced him, he placed a hand on my back, as if trying to meld our bodies into one. I could taste the flavor of his lips that solely belonged to him, and I could feel the soft lips slowly moving against mine like a wind to grass in a field.

We were both hungry. Hungry for more.

And then my stomach growled.

Startled, we pulled back, blushing furiously as the red stained both of our cheeks. Chuckling nervously to myself, I stood up and questioned, "Lunch?"

Fang looked at me, "Lunch sounds good."

On our way to the table, I said, "Nudge?"

"As good as dead," Fang replied.

* * *

The next day, the statistic thing on our blog broke down twice.

The number of hits had more than quintupled, so Angel had informed us.

"And it's all thanks to you two that our blog was such a huge success!" Angel had squealed to both of us.

Fang was sitting all the way across the room with the same dark and depressing novel he had the previous day in his hands. Yesterday's incident was never voiced due to some silent agreement, and every time our eyes happened to meet, our cheeks would tint red and we would turn around immediately.

As Angel was ranting on about what a great hit our blog was, I noticed that Fang hadn't flipped a page for at least five minutes.

I was confused. "But Angel, what's this about thanking us? The drawings were done by Nudge."

The African American girl was found almost lifeless the day before at bedtime. I'll give you a clue as to who did it: The people who had drawings with them as subjects were present at the time.

"Uh huh," Angel nodded innocently. Then she brought out the laptop and showed me the blog.

A new post had been added, and was completely void of words except for a few letters: Fang and Max.

Below as an image of me and Fang kissing, and not just any image. A photograph.

"Nudge," I hissed.

"Nah. Not Nudge's doing," Angel grinned. "I collaborated with Iggy and my brother to do it. Nudge couldn't because she was weeping in her corner of pain and sorrow."

"Why you little…," I started as I began the chase for Angel who merely spread her wings and flew out the window. "I'LL GET YOU BACK FOR THIS!" I yelled after her retreating figure.

Fuming, I turned to Fang who was acting as if nothing had happened, "Why didn't you do something about her?"

With eyes still fixated on his dark novel, Fang replied, "There is nothing to do. What she did does not compromise our relationship in any way. Why are you so angry?"

"Even so, I cannot just stand by and do nothing! That was supposed to be private! Private!"

"So you are saying that you want to keep our relationship underground forever?" Fang asked nonchalantly, still keeping up the appearance of reading.

"No, but…," I protested.

"Then what is there to yell about?" Fang said as he put his book down gently and looked me in the eye. "There is nothing to be afraid of."

I last saw a small smile on Fang's lips before I felt his mouth on mine.

Privacy, huh? I could do without that if Fang would just show me that smile one more time.

**Ah! One more fiction completed. The ending seems a bit weird to me but maybe you guys found it okay? Anyway, time sure has passed, hasn't it? I'm only publishing this fiction now when it was written 2 years ago! Honestly, this makes me sound like one of those authors with an author's block who are desperate to get **_**something**_** published, though I truly am someone with a really large author's block the size of my in-between-publishing-of-fictions times. Maybe I am getting old…**

**That aside, I hope you have enjoyed this fiction, although I myself am not too proud of it since I find the plot too disjointed and lacking logical flow. I suppose my writing has grown in the past 2 years so my next fiction would probably be much better. Look out for it, okay?**


End file.
